23 Jun Janel: Wheat ripens northward

Dodge City, Kansas–Schemper Harvesting’s four crews have finished up in Oklahoma and are in southern Kansas now. Jared cut wheat southwest of Wichita that yielded 25 to 50 bushels per acre and the test weights were 63 to 65 pounds per bushel. JC just got moved to the Pratt area and says the wheat is green yet and some looks several days off. We finished in Oklahoma late last week and moved 215 miles north and the wheat was green when we got here. We worked 18 days straight in Oklahoma and had no rain delays. Wheat ripens 20 to 30 miles northward per day. It’s been hot, windy and dry and the wheat here is nearly ready to be cut and when it’s ready farmers want it cut in a timely manner. We harvesters are here to get the job done! We’ll be full throttle in the field after today. I enjoy the Kansas wheat harvest and am ready to cut some good wheat!

Our 10 day forecast is hot, windy and dry. Yesterday it was 100 degrees and super windy and that helps ripen the crop. Today it is 96 degrees and the wind is blowing again. We’ve got lots of wheat to cut but it’s just got to be ripe first! No elevator wants a wet load of wheat so you just have to wait till the time is right. It’ll test your patience but it’s still way better than sitting in the rain and mud!

A wheat field I’ll cut, hopefully tomorrow east of Dodge City, Kansas.

The wheat is green here yet in southern Kansas but is changing quickly with the help of the heat and wind.

Last week cutting wheat in Oklahoma. The test weight was 66 pounds per bushel.

It was a decent wheat crop in western Oklahoma.

Cutting wheat in western Oklahoma.

Cutting wheat in western Oklahoma.

Cutting wheat in western Oklahoma next to Interstate 40. 

Fueling up combines after a day of cutting.

My dad and I cutting wheat in western Oklahoma.

Most of the fields I cut in Oklahoma I had to take the header off to get to the next field. 

Cutting wheat in western Oklahoma.

JC sent me a photo of 12-year-old Sunder cutting wheat near Alva, Oklahoma. The wheat crop there was excellent. (Photo by JC Schemper.)

I was reading about wheat varieties while I was at the elevator one day in Oklahoma.

There’s several wheat varieties to choose from in this book.

Getting fuel for the field equipment.

I remember cutting this field as a 12- or 13-year old combine operator. That old Gleaner has sat there all these years.

Moving day and Miss Moo loves riding with me!

She loves seeing all the cows!

Sometimes she barks at cows!

She pays attention to the road and what’s going on!

Miss Moo enjoys the harvest life with me!

She’s a happy traveler!

All Aboard Wheat Harvest is sponsored by Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children, Unverferth Manufacturing Co., Inc, BASF, AgriPro, Gleaner and High Plains Journal. Janel Schemper can be reached at janel@allaboardharvest.com.